Hatch construction



06f. 15, 1935. v J, T. CRALLEY 2,017,751

HATCH CONSTRUCTION Filed July 13, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 H1 s HT rom/Ens.

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J. T. CRALLEY HATCH CONSTRUCTION 2 `Shes'csf-Sheet 2 Filed July 13, 1953 .H15 'H1-ramer.:

Oct. 15,1935.

-Patented Oct. 15, 1935 HATCH CONSTRUCTION John T. Cralley, Chicago,

Ill., assignor to P. H.

p Murphy Company, New Kensington, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application July 13, 1933, Serial No. 680,201 'i Claims.

and car frame; which will resist the corrosive y action of briny water; and which is well adapted l5 for economical manufacture.

The invention consists in the hatch construc` tion and in the'combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described andl claimed. In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this speciiication and wherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the end portion of a metal refrigerator carroof provided with a hatch construction embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 isa vertical transverse section through the roof, the section being taken through the hatches on the line 2--2 in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section sim- 4 ilar to Fig. 2 through the eaves portion of the hatch plate,

Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section through the roof, the section being taken through the hatch on the line 4 4 in Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical cross-section through' the end roof seam and the adjacent end of one of the combined guard rails and hatch cover supports,

Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section through the roof at the ridge on the line 6-6 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a central longitudinal section through the cast metal hatch plate; and

Fig. 8 is a section similar to Fig. 4 illustrating a hatch construction of slightly modified form.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, my invention is shown in connection with a refrigerator car eruiipped with an all-metal, riveted-up,

single-course roof construction. The body frame` of the refrigerator car comprises wooden side plates I connected by wooden carlines 2, wooden side sheathing 3 secured to the outer face oi each side plate and terminating below the top thereof, and a side fascia board 4V secured to the outer face of said side sheathing with its top substantially flush with the top of said side plate.

The metal car roof comprises self-supporting sheets 5 of rolled steel that span the car from' eaves to eaves and are rigidly connected thereto and to each other to form a rigid load-sustaining structure. The roof sheets 5 slope downwardly from the ridge to the eaves of the car and have 5 upstanding flanges 6 along their adjacent side margins that are covered by inverted U-shaped seam ca'ps 'I that are provided with outstanding base anges 8 that overlie the adjacent side marginal portions of the roof sheets. The seam caps 10 'I are rigidly secured to theupstanding seam flanges 6 of adjacent roof sheets 5 by rivets 9 that extend horizontally through said seam caps and said seam flanges. The roof sheets 5 are provided with depending eaves iianges I0 (see 15 Fig. 1) that overhang the side fascia boards 4; and the eaves ends of the seam caps 'I are bent downwardly, as at II over the adjacent end portionsof said eaves'anges. The roof -sheets are rigidly secured near each end by rivets I2 20 to the sloping top flange of an eaves angle strip I3 whose vertical flange is bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to the outer faces of the side plates I above the side sheathing 3 and is oiset outwardly at its lower margin so as to cover the 25 upper ends of said sheathing.

A running board extends longitudinallyof the car at the `ridge and preferably comprises sections I4 located between adjacent roof seams with their ends supported on the horizontal top iian'ges 30 of angle brackets I5 whose vertical anges are rigidly secured to. the sides of seam caps 1 by the securing rivets 9 therefor.

At the end of the car, kthe roof is provided with a hatch construction for admitting ice and salt 35 to the interior of the car. Said hatch construction comprises a cast metal roof plate orsection I6 which slopes downwardly from ridge to eaves of the car after the manner of the rolled steel roof sheets 5. This cast metal hatch plate is 40 rigidly secured at its eaves ends to the top anges of the eaves angles I3 by the rows of rivets I2 that secure the roof sheetsv to said flanges. Said .hatch plate is rigidly secured along its outer margin by a row of rivets I'I to the outstanding 45 top flange of an angle I8 whose vertical iiange isriveted to the upper endl of the steel end I9 of the car. 'I'he cast metal hatch plate also has a rigid seam lconnection along its inner margin with the margin of the adjacent roof sheet, said 50 connection comprising an upstanding seam flange 20 that cooperates with the seam flange 5 of said roof `sheet and a seam cap 'Ia which straddles said seam`ilange and is rigidly securedthereto by vhorizontal rivets 9a. 'Ihe cast metal hatch plate 65 has a depending ange 2i that extendscontinuously along its eaves and outside margins, the portion lof the flange located along the inner margin of said plate overlying the side fascia boards,

5 and the portion located along the outer margin of said plate overlapping the end angle I8. The portion of the running board that overhangs the car end is supported on and bolted to the outstanding top ange of an upstanding bracket 22 cast integral with the hatch plate at the outer side margin thereof.

The hatch plate I6 is provided on each side of the running board with a hatch opening 23 that is surrounded by a continuous upstanding flange 24 cast integral with said plate. The upper end of said iiange is provided with an inwardly extending portion that forms a seat for a cover 25 for closing the opening dened by said flange. That hatch cover is also made of cast metal and is secured on one side to the iiange 24 byl means of hinges comprising cooperating lugs '28 and 21 cast integral with the cover and flange,

respectively, and connected by a. hinge pin 28.

The free end of the hatch cover is provided with suitable hand grabs or pockets 29; and said cover is locked in closed position by means of a locking pin 30 adapted to engage openings provided therefor in cooperating lugs 3| and 32 on the cover and flange 24, respectively. Extending between the two endmost roof seams opposite each hatch opening is a metal member 33 having depending'end flanges 34 that are secured to the seam caps 1 and la by the securing rivets there- 1 for. These metal members serve to support the hatch cover when opened;` and they also serve as guard rails and vasstruts and tie members between the two seams. y

The hatch .plate I6 is provided at its outer corners with suitable roof grab irons 35 and along its outer and eaves ends with series of raised ribs 36 that function as safety treads to prevent the foot from slipping. The hatch plate is provided with a plurality of spaced parallel ribs o1' flanges 31 that extend transversely of the roof. As shown in the drawings, these ribs 31 are located on the underside ofthe hatch plate, substantially in the plane of the portions of anges 24 that extend transversely of the'iroof, and thus cooperate with said fianges to function after the manner of a beam to strengthen and stiiren the plate and increase the load 'carrying capacity thereof. In the modification shown in Fig. 8, the flange 24a that surrounds the hatch opening is inclined upwardly and outwardly; and the ribs 31a on the underside of the 4plate are offset with respect to the portions of said flange thd, each hatch opening is linedl with the usual wooden hatch frame 39 having tapering. sides adaptedgto receiveatape'red wooden plug 40 that is suspended from the hatch cover.

' Among'the .advantages of the present hatch construction are the 'great strength, durability and rigidity of the cast m'etal hatch roof plate and its great resistance to'` corrosive action of ,'briny water, which accumulates thereon during fthe operation of -passingiceand salt through the hatch openings; also, the cheapness and simplicity of the hatch construction and the facility with which it adapts itself to the application .of the roof. It is particularly noted that said hatch v plate affords great strength in resisting stresses out departing from the invention. Therefore, l

I do not wish to be limited to the precise arrangement shown and described. For instance, the hatch vplate construction may be readily adapted for use with roofs of various types and, while it is preferable to make the hatch plate 10 in the form of a one-piece casting, it may be desirable, in some instances, to make 'the hatch plate of separate cast sections that are welded together.

rWhat I claim is:

' 1. A hatch construction for railway cars comprising a cast metal plate provided with a hatch opening having a continuous iiange surrounding said opening and cast integral with said cast metal plate, and a cast metal cover for said open- 2o ing the free margin of said iiange being provided with an inwardly extending portion forming a seat for said cover.

2. A hatch construction for railway cars comprising a cast metal plate adapted to extend from g5 side to side of the car and provided with a hatch opening, and a cast metal cover for said opening hinged to said flange.

3. A hatch construction for railway cars comprising a cast metal plate adapted to extend from 30 side to Vside of the car and provided with a plurality of hatch openings, a ,cast metal cover for each opening, and a hinged connection between said cover and' said plate including cooperating lugs cast integral with said plate and said cover, a5

respectively.

4. A hatch construction for metal car roofs comprising a cast metal roof plate adapted to span the car from side to side and provided with a hatch opening and a cast metal cover hinged 40 to said plate for covering said opening.

5. A hatch construction for metal car roofs comprising a cast metal roof plate adapted to span the car from side to side and provided with a hatch opening and a cast metal cover hinged 5 ing strengthening `ribsv cast. integral therewith 55 that extend substantially from end to end of said plate on lopposite sides of said opening.

'7. A hatch construction for metal car roofs comprising a cast metal roof plate provided with a hatch opening and having a continuous flange surrounding the said opening and cast integral with said cast metal plate, and a cast metal cover for said opening, said plate having strengthening' ribs cast integral therewith, said ribs extending on opposite sides of said opening on the underside of said plate.

8. A hatch construction for metal car roofs comprising a cast metal roof plate provided with a hatch opening and having a continuous flange surrounding said opening and cast integral with said cast metal plate, said plate having strengthening ribs cast integral therewith, said ribs extending on opposite sides of said openings on the underside of said plate, said plate being provided adjacent to said opening with a series of raised 9. A hatch construction for metal carroofscomprising a cast metal rooi plate provided with a hatch opening and having a continuous iiange surrounding said opening and cast integral with said cast metal plate, said plate having strengthening ribs cast integral therewith, said ribs extending on opposite sides of said openings on the underside of said plate, said plate being provided adjacent to said openings with .a series of raised ribs that function *as safety treads, and a cast metal cover for said hatch openings having integral lugs adapted for cooperation with lugs formed integral with the flanges which surround said opening.

10. A hatch construction for metal refrigerator car roofs comprising a cast metal roof plate adapted to span the car from side to side and provided with a hatch opening, the inner margin oi said plate being shaped for cooperation with the similarly shaped margin of an adjacent roof sheet, said plate having a depending iiange cast integral therewith that extends continuously along the end and outer side margins thereof.

1l. A hatch construction for metal refrigerator car roofs comprising a cast metal'roof plate adapted to span the car from side to side and provided with a hatch opening and having a continuous ange formed integral with said plate and surrounding said opening, the inner margin of said plate being shaped for cooperation with the similarly shaped margins of an adjacent roof sheet and said plate being provided With a depending iiange that extends continuously along the end and outer side margins of said plate, and a cast metal cover for said opening hingedly secured to the anges surrounding said openings.

12. A hatch construction `for metal refrigerator car roofs comprising a cast metal roof plate adapted to span the car from side to side and provided with a hatch opening and having a continuous ange formed integral with said plate and surrounding said opening, the inner margins of said plate being shaped for cooperation with the similarly shaped margins of an adjacent roof sheet, saidplate being provided with a depending flange that extends continuously along the end and outer side margins of said plate, said plate being formed adjacent to its outermargin 5 with an integral bracket adapted to serve as a support for a running board. l

13. A hatch construction for metal refrigerator car roofs comprising a cast metal roof plate adapted to span the car from side to side and provided with hatch openings and having continuous iianges formed integral with said plate and surrounding said openings, the inner margin of said plate being shaped for cooperation with' the similarly shaped margins of anadjacent roof sheet and said plate being arranged with a def pending nange that extends continuously along the end and outer side margins of said plate, and east metal covers for said. openings hlngedly secured to the iianges surrounding said openings, said plate being formed with an integral bracket adapted to support Jthe running board of the car roof.

14. A hatch construction for a metal car roof comprising a plurality of. riveted metal roof sheets spanning the car from side to side and connected by upstanding seams, said hatch construction comprising a cast metal roof. plate adapted to span the car from side to side and provided with a hatch opening, a cast metal cover for said opening hingedly secured to ,the plate, an upstanding seam connecting the inner margin of said roof plate to an adjacent roof sheet, and a member extending from said last mentioned seam to an adjacent seam opposite said cover and adapted to support said cover in the open position thereof.

15. A hatch construction for railway cars comprising a metal plate provided with a hatch opening having a continuous ange surrounding said opening, and a` cover for said opening, the free margin of said iiange being provided with an inwardly extending portion forming a seat for said cover.

JOHN T. CRALLEY. 

